Two alleged underground operatives and two 'sources' of Rab (Rapid Action Battalion) were killed by a new faction of outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-ML) in Mirpur and Gangni upazilas under the district early yesterday.

The dead were identified as Saheb Ali, 36, and Hasem Ali, 41, of Barbaria village in Mirpur upazila and Moinul Hossain, 26, and Masud Hossain -- two brothers living in Jagati Sugar Mill colony area in sadar upazila of Kushtia district.

Dilip Biswas, introducing himself as one among the top brass of the new faction styled 'Natun Lal Juddho' (new red war), claimed responsibility for all the killings and said the four people were killed as part of cleansing class enemy of the society.

The new outfit leader claimed Saheb and Hasem were sources of Rab and Moinul and Masud were cadres of outlawed Gono Mukti Fouz (GMF).

The Lal Juddho cadres stormed a house of Nimtola village in Mirpur upazila where Moinul and Masud went to attend a secret meeting of GMF at about 9:30pm, sources said.

They were taken to Kodalkathi village and slaughtered at around 1:30am. The bodies were left in a mango orchard of the village.

Another group of Lal Juddha picked up Saheb and Hasem from their house, took them to Maharghat of Gangni upazila and slaughtered them.

A gang of 10 armed men went to the house of Saheb at about 1:30am, called him out and picked him up at gunpoint, the victim's family said.

The gang then picked up Hasem from his house, which is adjacent to Saheb's.

The criminals took away the two blindfolded.

The murders were done between 1:30am to 2:00am, police said.

Later, Dilip Biswas phoned local journalists to inform them of the 'execution' of the two persons who the outfit leader claimed were 'wicked'.

Kushtia and Meherpur police went to the spot in the morning, recovered the dead bodies and sent to Meherpur General Hospital for autopsy.

The gruesome killings during anti-crime drives and increased vigilance by law enforcers have spread panic among the people of Kushtia, Meherpur, Chuadanga and Jhenidah districts.

Rab and police have started a massive hunt to arrest the criminals, sources said.

With the new one, now five factions of PBCP-ML are on the front in the southwestern region to establish a so-called 'classless society' in the country.

The other factions are PBCP-ML, PBCP-Janajuddho, PBCP-Lal Pataka, and PBCP-Communist Juddho.